Cooperative Extension Arizona Termites of Economic Importance AZ 1369 June 2005 Arizona Termites of Economic Importance PAUL B. BAKER Specialist, Entomology RUBEN J. MARCHOSKY, JR. Research Specialist, Senior Photographs and Illustrations by ALEX J. YELICH This information has been reviewed by university faculty. cals.arizona.edu/pubs/insects/az1369.pdf AZ1369 June 2005 Cooperative Extension College of Agriculture and Life Sciences The University of Arizona Tucson, Arizona 85721 Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, James A. Christenson, Director, Cooperative Extension, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, The University of Arizona. The University of Arizona is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation in its programs and activities. 4 The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Termites are cryptic social insects that play an Dealated Reproductives important role in many ecosystems. They decom- pose wood and other cellulose-based materials, physically redistribute soil materials modifying soil profiles, and recycle organic matter and nutrients. Termites comprise the order Isoptera (iso-ptera fi King “equal-winged”), so named because the reproduc- Queen tive adult has two pairs of equal length wings. Cur- rently, there are more than 2,600 identified termite species in 281 genera worldwide [13]. However, Eggs only 183 species are known to damage buildings Basic Life Cycle of Termites [5,37,38]. Most of the world’s species are found in the tropical regions. About 45 species occur in the continental United States with nearly 30 causing Alates damage to wood and wood products [35]. Of the (Winged Reproductives) Nymph eighteen (18) species of termites that are commonly found in Arizona, several species are economically important. Termites can be placed into 3 general catego- ries based on their habitat: dampwood, drywood and subterranean. In Arizona, dampwoods do Pre-Alate not present wide spread pest problems, but can be (Pre-Reproductive) problematic under certain conditions. In certain lo- Soldier cations throughout the state, drywood termites are Worker significant and costly pests. Subterranean termites Fig. 1.The basic lifecycle of termites. are considered major urban pests throughout the state. The purpose of this publication is to intro- duce the reader, in particular homeowners and pest management professionals (PMP’s), to termites in colony of origin in a series of flights or swarms at general, and more specifically the pest species that precise times of the year. The timing of the flights inhabit Arizona. varies among species, and within species based on locality. Adults may be attracted to lights, where pairing begins. As swarmers land on the ground, Termite Biology their wings are shed and they start searching for Termites live in true social groups with a divi- a suitable place to initiate a colony. The males are sion of labor required of the different castes of indi- attracted to the females by a scent or pheromone. viduals: reproductive adults, soldiers, and workers. Together they dig into the wood or moist soil de- Termites have a complex lifecycle with the devel- pending on the species, and form a chamber. Mat- opment of individuals that look and behave differ- ing occurs within the nuptial chamber, and the ently from other members of the group. Figure 1 queen once fertilized initiates the new colony as she demonstrates a typical lifecycle of termites. There begins to lay eggs. The eventual size and rate of are three general developmental stages: egg, imma- growth of the colony differs between dampwoods, ture, and adult. The primary role of winged adults drywoods, and subterranean termites, and among is dispersal and reproduction. The actual work of species of each habitat type. the colony and expansion of the colony’s forag- Of the millions of alates that swarm every year, ing territory is performed by the caste of workers, only a small percent, usually less than 1%, sur- while soldiers defend the colony. vive to produce a colony. Adults swarm from the Winged adults (alates or swarmers) represent a pri- original colony only when specific environmental mary caste of individuals within the termite colony. conditions are met. Factors that control the timing Winged adults can vary in color from light tan to of swarms are temperature, light, humidity, and reddish brown to nearly black. The size of these barometric pressure. The environmental cues that adults with wings attached ranges in length from trigger dispersal vary from species to species. For one-half to greater than an inch. Their eyes are fully example, subterranean termites in Arizona tend developed, mandibles (jaws) are typically visible, to swarm in mass on the night after a substantial and they have membranous wings. They possess summer rain. On the other hand, drywood termites paired antennae that are often bead-like or monili- may fly during daylight hours on hot sunny days form. Winged adults or alates disperse from their regardless of the rainfall. The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension 5 At the time of the swarm, a winged female’s ab- Workers are the primary foragers in a termite dominal sections are close to one another and her colony. They are the form that you often encounter inter-segmental membranes are not noticeable. Af- when you actually see termites. These soft-bodied ter the dispersal flight, the female become reproduc- creamy-white insects comprise the largest caste tively functional, and mates with the male partner. within a termite colony. Workers are the termites Morphological changes occur and the female’s ab- that actually damage wood or cellulose products. domen gradually expands with the inter-segmental Despite their looks, they have powerful mouth- membranes becoming increasingly noticeable. Af- parts adapted for chewing wood. Workers per- ter a number of years and repeated mating activ- form a variety of tasks including: caring for the ity, the queen contains a large number of develop- eggs and young larvae; constructing the colony ing eggs, her abdomen is greatly enlarged and the foraging network; rebuilding tunnels and galleries segments are widely separated by inter-segmental when they are damaged; foraging for and provid- membranes. These features help identify the ter- ing food to alates, soldiers, and one another; assist- mite queen (Figure 2). ing other termites when they molt; and grooming and cleaning nestmates. They can help soldiers to defend the colony if an attack occurs from ants or foreign termites. In “lower termite species”, the worker caste is made up of immature individuals that perform the work within the colony. Lower termites are more primitive termites that rely on protozoa (single- celled animals) contained in their gut to help digest cellulose to simple sugars. These immature ter- mites are not reproductively functional, wingless, and in most species, blind. Workers of the termite families, Termopsidae (dampwoods) and Rhinoter- mitidae (subterraneans), are called “pseudowork- ers” or “pseudergates”. Workers of the family Kalotermitidae (drywoods) are generally referred to as “nymphs”. Drywood immature termites can progress through developmental stages in a normal manner, larva to pseudergate to nymph, or under- Fig. 2. Gnathamitermes sp. termite queen. go regressive moults losing the characteristic of the older stage [30]. On the other hand, Rhinotermitidae pseudergates remain immature throughout their The king and queen are the primary reproductive life, but have the ability to develop into soldiers adults in the initial colony. As the colony becomes or winged adults. Thus, lower termite colonies are larger and more established, neotenic reproductives plastic as their immature termites have the ability to may develop and play a major role in egg produc- develop into exactly what the colony needs to sur- tion. These neotenic reproductives are a group of vive: soldiers for defense, winged adults for colony immature individuals that develop functional re- dispersal, neotenic reproductives for supplemental productive organs without ever leaving the nest. egg production, or simply tunnel builders. They are produced within the nest when one or In “higher termites” (Termitidae), the develop- both of the primary functional reproductives have mental pathways that give rise to reproductive and died or have become less fecund or infertile. Pro- non-reproductive lines differentiate early in de- duction of supplementary reproductives may oc- velopment, and thus colonies are not very plastic cur when a section of the colony becomes isolated [26]. Newly emerged larvae all appear the same, from the main group. Budding or breaking from the but after the first molt developmental trajectories main group can be caused by breakage or collapse can be identified. The larvae of workers show no of foraging tubes during flooding of subterranean wing development and gonads are reduced, while galleries. Neotenic reproductives generally have the nymphs of alates show definite development of lower individual egg laying capacity than the pri- sexual organs and visible small wing pads. None- mary queen, but there can be several hundred pres- theless, there are other mechanisms that provide for ent in a subterranean colony [33]. When a colony the social flexibility needed to meet the changing produces many supplementary reproductives, it needs of a colony. Both sex-determined and age- acquires the capacity for rapid population growth related differences in the tasks performed by work- and expansion. ers for the colony (polyethism) have been demon- 6 The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Fig. 4. A nasute soldier, Tenuostritermes sp. (photo: Alex Wild, 2004) or female, soldiers are sterile. Soldiers do not dig or construct tunnels. Soldiers do not care for one an- other, nor can they even feed themselves. They are Fig. 3. Soldier head capsules of common Arizona termites. dependent on workers to provide them food.